Rodri integration will be carefully managed suggests Pep | OneFootball

Pep Guardiola says the sooner Rodri is happy and fully fit, the better for Manchester City.

Our Spanish Ballon d’Or winner has endured some niggling problems since his return from the knee injury he suffered 14 months ago, but the City boss says that minor setbacks after a long layoff are inevitable.

“We want Rodri back as soon as possible,” said Pep.

“After a while he has a setback and it’s a small thing, by now we don’t have [Mateo Kovacic] either, so we have just one holding midfielder.

“It’s massively important that he’s back.

“I only want Rodri to be happy. When he starts to smile again, he’s one of the most competitive players I’ve ever met and how he push his teammates is unbelievable.

“The toughest period is gone, but now he’s at the end and he has to say he can enjoy with the [rest of the] team.

“Always he’s been involved and helped a lot. Nico has the best teacher in Rodri.

“I’m 100% convinced he will be back. It will take time to reach the level [he wants], but he will play game [by game]. We have to be sure the moment is there.”

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Guardiola says the busy schedule means Rodri’s introduction back to the regular first team action is likely to be staggered, somewhat.

And the City boss will not be taking any risks with the Spain international.

“Rodri can play one game a week, but the problem is we play every three days and then there is the national team,” said Pep.

“It’s another way. Play one game a week, you recover perfectly. Problem is [when it is] every three or four days. We knew it.

“It was a long injury. History says the year after, you have problems.

“We tried to avoid it, but the stats say that. One game a week you recover fine, but me as a manager, [when] the doctors say he is ready, he is going to play.

“We have to be careful from now on.”